1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical connector having a shell for providing Electro Magnetic Interference (EMI) shielding.
2. Description of Related Art
It is known that, when connectors are used in high speed data transmission applications, electromagnetic or radio frequency interference is significant. Electrical connectors, as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,093,046 and 6,238,219, are usually provided with shells to be protected against EMI. The shells of U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,093,046 and 6,238,219 are generally in a rectangular box-like form and each comprises a body portion and a pair of opposite sidewalls extending from the body portion and completely covering side walls of corresponding housing. Each sidewall of the shell has a grounding tab integrally extending therefrom for electrical connection with a grounding trace of a printed circuit board to which the electrical connector is mounted. However, the sidewalls of shells covering the whole sidewalls of the housing needs relatively more material, and in turn increases manufacturing cost of the connector. Furthermore, the rectangular box-like shell with grounding tabs extending therefrom requires that the insulative housing and the shell have a very stringent corresponding configurations to match with each other, thereby increasing the difficulty in assembling the electrical connector.
Hence, it is requisite to provide an improved electrical connector to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector with a shell easily assembled thereto and saving the cost thereof.
In order to achieve the object set forth, an electrical connector for being mounted onto a printed circuit board in accordance with the present invention comprises an insulative housing, a plurality of conductive terminals retained in the insulative housing, a metal shell mounted on the insulative housing, a plurality of grounding tabs and a spacer. The shell comprises a pair of collars each defined by a downward extending peripheral wall, three engaging members and four clasping tabs formed in each side wall of the two collars, two side caps respectively connected to two distal ends of the two collars for covering the mating face of the housing and a shielding slot defined together by opposite collars and opposite side caps. A pair of mating pieces extend sidewardly and downwardly from each side cap and each has a resilient free end. Each grounding tab has a planar main body, an intermediate portion extending downwardly from the main body and a soldering portion extending downwardly from a middle of the intermediate portion. When the shell is assembled to the housing, the mating pieces of the shell abut against the main bodies of the grounding tabs and the soldering portions electrically connect with grounding traces of the printed circuit board.